Dublin woman’s skin cancer warning after two battles

A Dublin woman who has battled skin cancer twice is urging people to take sun safety seriously and to think twice before using sunbeds.

Gill Costelloe, 45, from Ballybrack, is one of the 11,500 people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland every year.

It is the country’s most common cancer, and cases are expected to double by 2040, according to the National Cancer Registry of Ireland.

Gill’s first diagnosis came in 2016 when a friend spotted a mole on her back and encouraged her to get it checked. It turned out to be a stage one melanoma, which was removed.

Five years later, in 2021, she fainted repeatedly over several days.

Tests revealed the cancer had returned, and spread.

“I used sunbeds and spent years sunbathing to get a tan to look healthy but, ironically, I’m far from healthy now,” she said.

“I was an avid cyclist and never once considered the damage I was doing being out on the bike for hours on end with no sunscreen.”

Gill’s mole removal scar

Gill recently got her first clear scan but still lives with the side effects of the disease and its treatment.

Cancer in her hip bone has made her too afraid to return to cycling.

“It kills me that I can no longer do what I love,” she said. “I do still go out and enjoy myself when it’s sunny, but I wear a hat, cover up, and wear SPF every day – even when it’s cloudy. There are great fake tans now too, which I love.”

She wants people to understand that skin cancer can be deadly. “People think skin cancer isn’t serious.

“Mine was caught early but still spread to my liver, lung, breast, stomach, abdominal cavity and hip bone. I nearly died and spent three months in hospital.

“I’m very lucky to be here today.”

Gill is now on tablet-based chemotherapy and says research advances have given her hope.

“Even though cancer is scary, it’s not the death sentence it used to be – treatment and research are improving all the time. The earlier skin cancer is detected, the better the outcome.”

Kevin O’Hagan, Cancer Prevention Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “Nearly nine out of ten cases of skin cancer are caused by UV rays from the sun or sunbeds. Sun safety is vital, whether at home or abroad.

“With most Irish people having fair skin, this will burn much quicker, greatly increasing the risk.”

He urged people to see a GP if they notice any skin changes, such as a new or changing mole, a flat red spot, a firm red lump, an ulcer, or rough and scaly patches.

Anyone with concerns can contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700 or email supportline@irishcancer.ie.